Voices Lent and Votes Cast at Hike & Bike Public Hearing

The Arlington City Council held their monthly meeting in front of a packed house last night, as the Hike & Bike Master Plan was debated during a final public hearing. “Yellow shirts” in support of the plan were interspersed with the “non-yellow shirts” (and unofficial “red shirts”, seemingly) against it. The Hike & Bike Plan, now in version C, proposes both on- and off-road bike paths, routes, and lanes throughout the city to be implemented over the span of 30 years.

All City Council members were present, including Mayor Cluck, as well as representatives from the City Planning Department. Residents both for and against the plan got their chance to speak and present their arguments to the Council, before it went to a final vote. Passionate remarks included a variety of concerns about the cost of the plan, land infringements, cyclist safety, improving the health of residents, increasing transportation options, business development, parking restrictions, city growth, and more.

After approximately two hours of discussion, City Council members offered some closing commentary before casting their votes. Member Mel LeBlanc voiced his reasons why he was against the plan, stating that he didn’t see the need to allocate tax dollars to what seemed to be a “recreational” activity. Member Sheri Capehart clarified some of the estimated costs for both on- and off-road bike paths, indicating that far less money would be needed to complete on-road modifications than off-road changes. At-large Member Robert Shepard made a motion in support of the plan, and offered thoughtful remarks on its evolution over the last two years and the Council’s efforts to include as much public input as possible. In addition, Shepard spoke to the general state of debate in our society today, commenting that the value of coming together to achieve mutual compromise seems to be not only lost, but heavily discouraged.

(You can hear audio from the public hearing by clicking on the link at the end of this article.)

In the end, votes were cast and, by a 5-4 margin, the Arlington City Council approved the Hike & Bike Plan. Members Capehart, Wilemon, Wolff, Shepard, and Bennett voted “Yes”, while Mayor Cluck and Members LeBlanc, Rivera, and Patrick voted “No”.

What are your thoughts on this plan, and its recent approval? Is the plan too overreaching or does it not go far enough?

How would you like to see Arlington grow?
What are the things that make a city great in the first place?


MP3 Download of 6/28/11 Arlington Public Hearing
(*Note: This is a partial recording, capturing most but not all of the hearing. The author of this post begs your forgiveness and understanding: she arrived late to the meeting, as she was stuck getting her air conditioning fixed. Being summer in Texas, it was a critical repair! Enjoy….)